Enki, (who is also known as Ea the King of Apsu in Mesopotamia), along with An and Enlil (Anu and Bel in Mesopotamia) is one of the triad of Sumerian High Gods. According to the literal translation of his name he was the Lord of Earth (En meaning lord, Ki meaning earth), but he had several titles, most prominently that of Lord of the Abzu (meaning watery abyss/amniotic fluid and semen, the words are the same in Sumerian) along with Lord of creation, fertility,and water.He was also the keeper of me.

He was the son of Nammu (the Sea), and was the consort of Ninhursag who bore him Ninsar.He then slept with Ninsar producing Ninkur, with whom he produced Uttu, the goddess of Plants. From all of this he created all of the worlds plants, which then lead onto him naming everything in creation

He was often depicted as holding Zu, the storm-bird, and having twin streams of water issuing from his shoulders or arms (thought to represent the Tigris and the Euphrates, the rivers between which Sumer existed) or as a half-fish, half-goat creature (from which the modern astrological figure for Capricorn is derived).

He was the chief god of the city of Eridu, which was the first city to recieve me (the divine laws, holding information about culture and civilisation). The me were given to Enki to safeguard and distribute to the world by the god Enlil. From Eridu, Enki spreads the me towards Ur, Meluhha and Dilmun, organizing the world with his decrees (as told in the poem Enki and the World Order). He also has some of the me stolen by Inanna (see the poem Inanna and Enki). One of the most famous usages of me is in the form of the Nam-shub of Enki where he shatters the one language of the world into many different languages (As recounted in the Old Testament story The Tower of Babel).